The Strategic AI enjoys placing cities in close proximity to each other. Though it can still be agressive, if you provoke the enemy. As a general rule, your opponents will vote for peaceful expansion, unless you want to wage war yourself. It can happen much faster than you think, when you start seeing new towns getting close to your realm’s borders. The competitors are pretty arrogant, when it comes to the evolution, so they will try to seize every free tile, you didn’t want or didn’t have time to occupy yet. The AI factions do fight each other, and the art of war was taught to the neutral monsters as well. Some will run away from your concentrated attacks, while others try to pull back, regroup or heal wounds before getting back to the fight with your army.

At times, the AI ​​in the Warlock: Master of the Arcane game will even try to make you fighting at several fronts at the same time leading to an even more interesting complex strategic schemes to be used such as «Come-Strike-Retreat-Shoot-Pursue». Units gain experience and you can pick new skills for them to improve their abilities or enhance the basic battle values. The interface is convenient, but lacks detailed descriptions of buildings and a Fantasy encyclopedia. The developers promised us to make a fully functional online portal in the Wiki style, where everyone will be able to update the information making the united knowledge base.

To unlock any new spell you need to select it from a short list and then wait for some turns. The magic development can be enhanced, if you construct certaint buildings accumulating you more Research points. With each new match the selection of new magic is shuffled like a deck, always offering a slightly different research path every time. In addition to summoning new units, you can also bless friendly ones and curse enemy ones as well as employ destructive magic against the opponents’ cities. The scope of Diplomacy looks much weaker here, because there are only basic deals and trade agreements, while the rivals don’t cooperate well or rationally preferring more to refuse, demand, threaten and insult your leader.

The graphics of the Warlock: Master of the Arcane strategy game present a bright and colorful global map, while drawing more attention to the Art and Animation. Moreover, both were done by the same artists from the Ino-Co Plus, which also developed Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim. The creature designs do look very familiar to the style of series. I don’t have any complaints for the sound effects, but I can praise the voice of the Advisor bringing back the voice talent of George Ledoux going with this role for years. The Russian version has a separate VO in this case, but also the one brought again from the sequel’s cast.

You can listen to the in-game soundtrack for free on the official website or buy the full version for about $10. The album includes 12 tracks for the game lasting about 30 minutes in total for the different races with orchestral arrangements recorded at the TriHorn Productions studio based in Russia. They were also providing music for other Ino-Co past projects, including Fantasy Wars (2007) and its expansion - Fantasy Wars: Elven Legacy (2007). The local music really lacks some optimistic and relaxing tunes. Just compare it to the terrain themes from Heroes of Might & Magic IV (2002), and you will understand my point. Here several agressive marches dominate the soundtrack too much like an endless war is in progress, which is not, since there are also peaceful in-game times.

GameScope Verdict

Warlock: Master of the Arcane has become an exciting Turn-Based Strategy game, which can make you spend dozens of hours, before you notice that the morning comes. It reminds of the best games in the genre and charm you with its Fantasy world, while challenging you with the opponents that are still better in defense than in carrying out invasions. The future development path for this title has already been planned. After the first Powerful Lords DLC for the Pre-Ordering crowd, which was already released, this summer the Community will get a major free update bringing in the Multiplayer. May it then not let any Dawn prevent you from continuing a fight with a worthy Human opponent.

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Warlock: Master of the Arcane

Review

Warlock: Master of the Arcane:

A new turned-based strategy game is once again set in the fantastical world of Ardania, popularized in the Majesty (2000-2012) franchise. The title invites players to take on the role of the Great Mage and build a powerful magical empire, giving mightly mages the ability to control armies and wield magic to wage war against another, as they compete with other wizards for the title of Warlock. Only the one can rule them all, and it might be you, if you defeat all the competition.

In the Warlock: Master of the Arcane game you have to develop the cities presenting the core of your realm. Construct new buildings, collect three kinds of resources, conduct the research of new spells, handle diplomacy and wage war to extend the borders of your Empire. Your actions will be challenged by Rival powerful mages, who will be ready to unleash everything they have against you, and the Gods of Ardania will also play a major part in this massive struggle for Domination.

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Previews » 1

In May of 2012 a lot of fans of the TBS-strategy titles will be able to embark on big advantures set in the Fantasy world of Ardania. In this our Preview of the upcoming Warlock: Master of the Arcane game we will provide you with our Hands-On impressions about its notable features. More »

Review » 1

May has become a notable month for those, who like Fantasy video games, since the new Turn-based Strategy titled Warlock: Master of the Arcane, Review of which is already here, came to its official release. In this Review we will explore all the good and still not so good game points. More »